Ear muff



PatentedrOct. 8, 1940 Y l UNITED s'luiries PATE-NT ortica Lawrence McDonough, Park Ridge, Ill., assignor to Maxant Button & SupplyCo., Chicago,

Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application December 22, 193.9, Serial No. 310,587

` Claims. J(CL2- 2109) I This invention relates to an improvement in` ear muis and more particularly to an improved frame work upon which the ear muffs can be conveniently, easily and cheaply assembled.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved ear muff with a rigid metal frame which can be easily fabricated and readily assembled and which will permit the iframe to be wholly concealed within the ear muff.

A further object'of the invention is to provide an ear muff in which the frame is permanently secured together and to the fabric coverings sov that the ear muf will not become disassembled in use.

A further object `of the invention is to produce an ear muif in the form of a fabric envelope completely enclosing the frame work.

Further objects, capabilities, and` advantages of the invention will appear from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a perspective View of a pair `of ear muffs; n

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of one ear muff taken on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one form of the retainer ring by which the assembled ear mui is held in assembled condition, and to,which is attached the ear by which the ear muff lis secured to the .iiexible band which joins the pair of ear muifs; n y Fig. 4 is a perspective View of the ear muff 35 frame;

Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation similar to Fig. 2 except that another formof the retainingring isused;

Fig.` 6 is a perspective view of the ear muff 40 frame and the retainer ringshown in Fig. 5 in position for assembly without the cloth being shown.

Fig. 7 is aperspective view of a modified form of the annular frame shown in Fig. 4 in which 45 the wall of the frame is notched to facilitate of ear muis, conventional insofar as the exterior is shown, consisting of two ear muffs attached by perforated ears to` a flexible band I2. This band is composed of two adjacent flexible strips of metal, upon the one end of each of which is secured an ear muli II, and upon the other end. a ring'IZi, which provides a loop through which the other flexible strip 4may slide'so thatthe flexible band I2 can be extended in length if desired to `accommodate heads of different sizes. The description thus far is of familiar structure which forms no part of this invention.

Each of the ear muffs of this invention is made of two sheet members which may be made of any suitable fabric, textile, cloth, fur or similar materials. In this specification and claims such material will be designated by the term fabric, regardless of whether fur or a true fabric or cloth'V isused. One oi these is the outer covering I4, which in the drawings is shown as composed of a piece of fur. The other-is a lining member or liner I5, which is-shown as made of a piece of cloth. The inner lining I5 should preferably be madeof a soit cloth as it is in contact with the ear when the ear mufls are being worn.

The covering I4 and the liner I5 are cut into` a strip of suitable size and shape to receiverespectively the metal frame member I6 and retainer ring 20, and to permit the edges of thev cloth to be turned over to overlap vthe body of the cloth member sufficiently to cover the respective metal member.

Each ear muff is assembled about a ring frame I6, which is shown in perspective in Fig. 4. This frame in the preferred embodiment is shown as a ring stamped and pressed from light sheet metal to form an annular ring with a horizontal base I'I, and a vertical wall I8, so that the section of the ring forms a right angle. l

Designed to be received by the frame IB is the retainer ring 2U shown in Fig. 2. This ring may suitably be formed of vresilient wire, formed into a loop with the ends clipped together to form a bail to receive the perforated ear 2I. The perforated ear 2l may be made from a strip of metal bent over the retainer ring to form` a hinge as shown in Fig. 3. The strip is punched with the perforations 22 by which the ear muff is to be secured to the metal band I2.

As best shown in Fig. 2, the frame Iii is laid upon the outer covering fabric I4, and the outer fabric is folded up over the upper edge I9 of the wall I8 of the frame member I6. The outer covering I 4 should be sufliciently large so that it will overlap the frame I6 throughout its. circumference. The fabric inner lining I5 is then laid over the retainer ring 20. This inner lining I5 is also sufficiently large that it overlaps the ring 20 throughout its entire circumference. It is to be noted that the ring 20 is generally of the same configuration as the frame I6 and is of such size that it may be embraced Within the frame.

It is also to be noted as shown in Fig. 1, that the inner liner I5 is perforated to permit the passage of the perforated ear 2| therethrough.

When the retainer ring 20 has been covered with the inner liner I5, the covered retaining ring is brought Within the wall I8 of the frame lI6 and forced down until it rests upon the base I'I of the frame. -Thereupon the upper edge I9 of the frame wall I8 is turned or crimped down so that the retainer ring 20 is firmly gripped Within the frame I6.

The wall I8 of the frame I6 can be notched at intervals throughout its length to facilitate the crimping of the frame about the retainer ring. This modified form of frame is shown in Fig. '7, in which the wall I8 is cut with a series of notches 26 about its upper edge.

Similarly, the frame I6 can be preformed as an annular channel so that it has the configuration shown in Figs. 8 and 9 prior to the assembly of the structure, and then the retaining ring 20 within the inner liner I5 distorted and forced within the walls I8, whereupon the bent over rim I9 of the frame I6 will retain the parts permanently in the relation shown in Fig. 2.

In Fig. 6 is shown an alternative form of retaining ring 2D, in which the ring is made of a strip of metal, formed like the frame I6 of right angle section, and composed of the annular base 24 and the annular wall 25. One end of this retaining ring 23 is also provided with an ear 2I so that the two ear muffs may be fastened together with the flexible band I2. In the assembly of the frame I6 with the retaining ring of the type shown as 23 in Fig. 6, the process heretofore described for assembly of the structure is followed and the final step in this procedure is to turn or crimp down the rim I9 of the frame I6 in order that it may embrace the retaining ring 23 and maintain the parts in the relationship in which they are shown in section in Fig. 5.

When the ear muff of this invention is completely assembled, it is in the form of a fabric envelope, with the edges of the respective fabric members turned inwardly and lying adjacent to each other, where they are clamped between the frame and retainer ring.

A simpler form of the ear muff of this invention can be made without the inner liner I5. The frame may be any one of the forms shown in Figs. 4, 7, and 8. The outer covering I4 is applied in the manner hereinbefore set forth, and then the retainer ring 20 or 23 is immediately inserted, without being covered with the inner liner. The resultant ear muff would be of the construction suggested by the sectional view shown in Fig. 10. This form of the invention is most satisfactorily employed when the outer covering I4 is of a thick soft or pile fabric or fur.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. An ear muff comprising a fabric envelope composed of two fabric sheets, the edges of said sheets being turned inwardly between said sheets, a frame member between one sheet and the inturned edges thereof, and a retainer ring between the other sheet and the inturned edges thereof, the inturned edges of said sheets being clamped between said frame and said retainer ring.

2. An ear muff comprising an annular frame, an outer covering for said frame, an inner liner, a retainer ring covered by said inner liner, and means upon said annular frame to retain said retainer ring snugly therein.

3. An ear muff comprising an outer covering having the edges turned inwardly and overlapping the covering a substantial distance, an inner liner having the edges thereof turned inwardly and overlapping said liner a substantial distance, the overlapped edges of said inner liner and the overlapped edges of said outer covering being adjacent to each other, a flanged annular frame within said outer covering between the body and overlapped edges thereof, a retainer ring within said inner liner between the body and overlapped edges thereof and seated within the annular frame.

4. An ear muff comprising an annular frame, a retainer ring within said frame, and an outer covering having the edges turned inwardly over said frame and rmly clamped between said frame and said retainer ring.

5. An ear muff comprising an annular frame, the upper edge of the wall thereof being notched at intervals about its length, an outer covering for said frame, an inner liner, a retainer ring covered by said inner liner, and means upon said notched wall to retain said retainer ring within said frame.

LAWRENCE E. MCDONOUGH. 

